Exogenous auxin depletion renders an Arachis hypogea suspension culture sensitive to water loss without affecting cell growth

A suspension cell culture was initiated from callus cells originating from Arachis hypogea cotyledon explants in the presence of 1-napthaleneacetic ac id (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Exogenous NAA depletion did not aff ect the growth of these cells, indicating them to be auxin-autotrophic in n ature. Unlike the NAA-supplemented counterparts, the NAA-depleted cells wer e unable to grow after being exposed to stress conditions that led to the l oss of water. The rate and amount of water loss from both the NAA-supplemen ted and the NAA-deprived cells were found to be the same, indicating that t he presence of NAA did not enable stress avoidance. Our results suggest tha t NAA contributed tolerance to these cells by allowing them to recover afte r water loss.